1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal box for solar cell module.
2. Description of the Related Art
A terminal box for solar cell module (hereinafter, terminal box) disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-302590 includes a plurality of terminal plates, a diode connected to two corresponding terminal plates, a bottom wall which supports the terminal plates and the diode and a peripheral wall which surrounds the bottom wall. The peripheral wall is integrally formed to stand from a peripheral edge part of the bottom wall. Further, the diode includes a heating body. When the heating body generates heat, this heat is radiated from the terminal plates toward a solar cell panel via the bottom wall.
Resiliently deformable resilient locking pieces are integrally formed to stand on the bottom wall. In the process of placing the terminal plates on the bottom wall, the resilient locking pieces interfere with the terminal plates to be resiliently deformed. When the terminal plates are placed on the bottom wall, the resilient locking pieces are resiliently restored and tip claws of the resilient locking pieces are arranged to be able to lock the terminal plates. In this way, the lifting of the terminal plates from the bottom wall is prevented.
In the above conventional terminal box, the bottom wall may be possibly thermally damaged due to heat generation of the diode. Then, the resilient locking pieces integrally formed on the bottom wall may be deformed to reduce a force for holding the terminal plates.
In view of this, for example, a method for preventing the lifting of the terminal plates by placing a pressing plate separate from the bottom wall on the terminal plates was thought. However, in this case, there has been a problem of increasing cost since the pressing plate is separately necessary.
The present invention was developed in view of the above situation and an object thereof is to reliably prevent the lifting of terminal plates while suppressing a cost increase.